Sidesway brace



March 14, 1939.

s. M, NAMPA SIDESWAY BRACE Filed Oct. 2e, 195B INVENTOR.

' Sula 2 Namyd.

I 3 BY M M 7 54 51, Arrows? Patented Mar. 14, 1939 q PATENT OFFICE SIDESWAY BRAoE 81110 M. Nampa, Detroit-Mich, assignor to The Worth Company, a corporation of Michig an Application October 26, 1935, Serial No. 46,852

7 Claims.

The invention relates to car loading devices of the type disclosed in the co-pending application of Samuel D. Butterworth, Serial No. 646,830, filed December 12,1932. More specifically, it relates to the type of anti-side sway hook for the loading frame of the Butterworth application, which is disclosed in applicants co-pending applications, Serial Nos. 754,012 and 754,015, filed November 21, 1934.

10 An object of this invention is to provide an improved means to prevent accidental disengagement of an anti-side sway hook for an automobile loading device.

Other objects and advantages will become apr15 parent from the accompanying drawing and the specification and claims hereinafter set forth.

In the drawing: 5

Fig. 1 shows an elevation view of the anti-side sway hook and latch therefor, partly in section.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but of a modified latch means.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of 25 Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Figs. 2 and 3, but of a further modification of the latch means.

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5.

3o Referring to Fig. 1, the numeral l indicates a portion of one of the vertical side wall supporting posts of an ordinary box car, while 2 indicates one of the main longitudinal frame members of an automobile loading frame positioned 35 in the box car. A straight shank hook 3 is pivoted on a staple member 4, which in turn is secured by any suitable means to the member I of the car, and the bent over end of hook 3 is adapted to engage an opening 5 in a plate 6, which. is

40 welded to the under side of frame member 2, all

as described in applicants co-pending application Serial No. 754,015.

It has been found that when the above described device issubject to the severe jolting and 45 jarring incident to the normal use of a freight car, that there is a tendency of the hook to pop out of the opening in plate 6, and thereby disengage the frame. Hence, it is necessary to provide a suitable stop or latch means to prevent 50 such accidental disengagement, and yet which may be readily disengaged at will When it is desired to lower the loading frame. In applicants prior co-pending application #754,015, a spring latch is disclosed for this purpose, but that type,

55 of latch involves the disadvantage that it is difiicult to release. This is due to the fact that the 1 parts shown in Fig. 1 of the present drawing are quite heavy and require a relatively heavy retaining means, with the result that a spring sufficiently heavy to maintain latch 3 in engagement 5 with plate 6 is difiicult to disengage by hand. Accordingly, in the present application, there are disclosed three different forms of pivoted latch members which are suitable for this specific purpose. 1 10 In Figs. 1 and 2 is disclosed a latch I pivoted by means of pin 8 to a block 9, which in turn is welded to the face of longitudinal frame member 2. The latch member is reversely bent intermediate its ends, as shown in Fig. 1, with the result that the hook engaging end portion thereof is offset from, but parallel with, the opposite end and, therefore, with respect to frame member 2. The offset end isadapted'to engage the hook 3 and prevent its removal from the opening 5 in plate 6. As shown in Fig. 2, the lower end of latch l is providedlwith a recess ID to receive the hook and prevent disengagement of theyhook from the latch by reason of relative movement longitudinally of the car. This is important inasmuch as freight cars are subject to severe longitudinal jolts when the trains are started and stopped.

It is important to note that the hook engaging portion of latch I is normally positioned between the longitudinal frame member 2 and the point l l on the hook which is closest to the axis of the latch. As a result, any jarring or jolting that would tend to throw the hook upwardly, will cause the hook to move upwardly a sufficient distance to block release of the latch. .35

In Figs. 3 and 4, I have shown a modified form in which the latch member I2 is pivoted on a pin l3 extending parallel, but longitudinally offset with respect to the shank of the hook. The pin I3 is mounted in a block 14, which is welded to the longitudinal frame member 2. The lower edge of latch I2 is provided with a flange [5 which extends outwardly with respect to the frame member 2, and is provided with a hook engaging recess l6. action of gravity on the swinging latch l2 tends to hold it, as shown in Fig. 3, in latching engagement with the hook 3. If for any reason there is a tendency to throw the hook upwardly,

the hook will pass into the recess It in flange i5 and prevent rotation and consequent release of the latch.

In the form shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the latch is pivoted on a pin ll having an axis parallel, but longitudinally offset with res ect to the shank It will be noted that the 45' of the hook, which pin is mounted in a block l8 welded to the side of frame member 2. The latch in this case comprises a wedging cam member l9 having an outwardly directed flange 20 which engages the hook. The action of gravity normally maintains the flange 20 of member 59 in frictional engagement with the hook 3 and the frictional drag between these members is relied upon to prevent accidental displacementcaused by jarring and jolting of the car. It will be noted that any force tending to move the hook upwardly will increase the friction between the hook and the latch, and restrain the latch against release.

While three forms of latch are disclosed, it may be noted that they embody certain important functional characteristics in common. Each is automatically movable into and maintained in latching position by the actionv of gravity, and in each form, means are provided whereby any force tending to release the hook will be efiective to prevent disengagement of the latch. This is important since any jarring or jolting that afiects the hook, will operate to prevent disengagement of the latch, while any jarring or jolting that affects only the latch will cause no harm because the latch will immediately return to engaged position.

It is apparent that additional modifications of the latch are available within the spirit of my invention, as illustrated and described herein, and within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In combination, a pair of movable members adapted for relative movement in a substantially horizontal direction, a hook pivoted to one of said members and extending horizontally into engagement with the other, and a latch pivoted to said other member on an axis substantially parallel to said hook but slightly oiiset from the vertical plane of said hook, said latch having a flange engageable with said hook when said latch is permitted to swing downwardly about its axis under the influence of gravity.

2. In combination, a pair of movable members adapted for relative movement in a substantially horizontal direction, a hook pivoted to one of said members and extending horizontally into engagement with the other, and a latch pivoted to said other member on an axis substantially parallel to said hook but slightly ofiset from the vertical plane of said hook, said latch having a flange engageable with said hook when said latch is permitted to swing downwardly about its axis under the influence of gravity, and said flange having an opening therein for receiving said hook when the latter moves upwardly and the latch is engaged for preventing disengagement of said latch.

3. In combination, a pair of movable members adapted for relative movement in a substantially horizontal direction, a hook pivoted to one of said members and extending horizontally into engagement with the other, and a latch pivoted to said other member on an axis substantially horizontal .and perpendicular to and above said hook, said latch having a portion extending downwardly and toward said hook and having an opening therein for receiving said hook and preventing further upward movement thereof when the latter moves upwardly and the latch is engaged for preventing disengagement oi the hook and of the latch itself.

4. In combination, a pair of relatively movable members, a retaining device carried by one of said members and engageable with the other to prevent relative movement the-rebetween, a latch for holding said device in engaged position, means in-- cluding said device and said latch to positively block release of said latch itself from its device holding position upon initial movement of said device towards disengaged position.

5. In combination, a pair of members to be held. against relative movement, a connecting device pivotally carried by one of said members and engageable with the other to prevent relative movement, a latch movably carried by one of said members and movable by the action of gravity into engagement with said device for holding said device in engagement with said other member, and said device and said latch including means so that said device will positively block releasing movement of the latch itself upon a limited movement of said device towards disengagement when said latch is in the holding position.

6. In combination, a pair of relatively movable members, a retaining device movably carried by one of said members and engageable with the other to prevent relative movement therebetween, a latch for holding said device in engaged position, said device and said latch being so constructed and arranged relative to each other that said device is adapted to move into a position wherein it positively blocks release of said latch when said device is subject to a force tending to disengage the same from said other member.

'7. In combination, a pair of relatively movable members, a hook pivotally carried by one of said members and engageable with the other, and a latch pivoted on said other member and adapted to prevent accidentaldisengagement of said hook, said latch and hook being so constructed and ar" ranged relative to each other that the application of a disengaging force to said hook when said latch is engaged causes said hook to move into a position wherein itpositively blocks release of said latch.

SULO M. NAMPA. 

